


Of sunset and sunrise

by Alyssa_Allyrion



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, But mostly angst, F/F, F/M, Slow Build, Some Fluff, if you like Rhaegar you will not like this, very Elia-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-10 23:39:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16464515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyssa_Allyrion/pseuds/Alyssa_Allyrion
Summary: The story follows Elia Martell from her first year of marriage through surviving the rebellion and rebuilding the country as the Queen Regent.





	1. Chapter 1

Elia Martell woke up feeling uncomfortable stiffness in her neck. _No doubt due to spending the night on this abhorrent pillow. The thrice-damned maester must have dragged it out from the Seven Hells._

“It is best for the child, Your Grace,” she recalled the maester telling her as he bowed his head piously. 

Elia was of a mind to refuse. _What kind of folly is this?_ she thought, looking at the strange object he was handing her. _Surely, this must be some kind of joke. My lady mother bore three children and she’s never even mentioned sleeping on anything like this._

“We cannot risk it, my lady,” her lord husband told her then, looking at her with a chagrinned smile, “Few things are more precious than the child you are carrying, so we must take every precaution.”

And although Elia in her heart wanted to refuse the request, she relented. The pillow seemed like a small concession, at least at the time. _Besides, mayhaps this monstrosity will prove to be more comfortable than it looks._

Now, just a week later, she knew she should have never agreed – the pillow was so very uncomfortable, she was barely able to get any sleep. When she mentioned that to the maester, he told her that she would eventually grow accustomed to it. Elia would have taken the issue with Rhaegar, but he had already departed for Summerhall, but not before telling her that he was leaving her in the maester’s care. 

“My lady, you must promise to you would heed to maester Hareth’s every advice,” Rhaegar told her, holding her hands in his, “He will do everything to ensure your pregnancy goes smoothly.”

“I promise, my lord,” Elia replied then. She much regretted doing so now. 

Her husband visited Summerhall quite frequently – they have been married for just eight months and this was his third trip. He would usually remain there for a month before returning to Dragonstone. In some ways, Elia did not blame him – after all, if she were in condition to travel she would not remain on Dragonstone longer than was absolutely necessary – this island must have been the dreariest place in the Seven Kingdoms. 

Elia sat up on her bed with a heavy sigh, and immediately felt cold – even the flames burning brightly in the fireplace could not warm the chilly air in the room. Dragonstone was clearly not build for comfort. She pulled her blankets closer to her chest and looked out the window. The day greeted her with dark grey skies and pouring rain. _It appears we would have to remain indoors today as well,_ Elia thought, irritated. She was hoping to spend some time in the garden, but, given the rain and the cold, there was no way the maester would permit her to be outside. _Not that I would want to go out today, anyways._

The only place Elia somewhat enjoyed on Dragonstone was the tiny garden in the castle courtyard. Very few trees grew there, but the green leaves were a welcome respite from the black stones of the keep and the island. She hoped to expand the garden, bringing in seeds from the Reach and from Dorne, as well as sapling trees. However, none of the seeds or sapling trees took to the soil, and within about a moon’s turn the garden looked just as it did before her attempts. While that was disappointing, she still was glad there were at least some plants. Her heart still ached for the groves of blood orange and pomegranate trees in the Water Gardens and for the sweet smell of the flowers growing along the Dornish coast.

Besides the trees and the flowers, she missed the sun. Only after coming to Dragonstone, Elia understood how precious little she appreciated the sunlight. She could remember so very many days when she would sit by the pools of Water Gardens with Ashara and Alyna and complain about the midday heat. Now she would give anything to have that problem again. She was certain Dragonstone had not seen any sunlight in about a fortnight. 

Elia called for her maid, Becca, and asked her to bring her wool robes. Elia put a hand on her swollen belly and got up from the bed. With the help of her maid, she put on her robes. They were a precious gift from her aunt, and Elia appreciated them so very much these day, as they seemed to be the only thing that could save her from the cold. Once she was dressed, Elia settled in front of the fireplace, and asked her maid to serve breakfast. 

The breakfast arrived soon – it was once again this grey, sad-looking porridge that the maester claimed was supremely beneficial for expectant mothers. Elia would have been fine with it if it were not so utterly without any flavor. 

“Spice is bad for the child, Your Grace,” the maester claimed, “It upsets the balance of humors in the body and can promote early labor. His Highness left you in my care, I cannot allow you to endanger yourself by eating something that could harm the child.”

Elia argued with him, of course. 

“Mothers in Dorne have spices during pregnancy and birth healthy babes,” she told him then, “I will not be changing my habits.”

The maester insisted then, but Elia was not about to back down. Eventually they reached an agreement, wherein Elia was to eat this flavorless food for two meals a day and then she was free to choose whatever she wanted for her evening meal.

Unfortunately, Elia had very little appetite during this pregnancy, and what little she did eat, she often ended up throwing up. This problem seemed to only be exacerbated by the fact that she had to eat this porridge for two meals a day. Inability to keep her meals down made Elia lose weight rather than gain it, which rendered her already slender frame looking dangerously emaciated. All her dresses that fit perfectly before pregnancy now seemed too big everywhere but the belly area. 

As Elia suffered through the porridge washing it down with some warm water, she felt like she was going to throw up. Her tongue felt stiff and she had to sit on the chair and breathe slowly to ensure that the bout of sickness had passed. Elia remained on the chair for a few more moments, when her maid told her that she had drawn the bath for her. 

“Let Lady Ashara and Lady Alyna know that I am expecting them soon,” Elia told the maid once she helped her get undressed and get into the bath. 

The water was hot, and Elia enjoyed the feeling. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that she was not sitting in the bath on Dragonstone, but rather splashing in the shallow waters on the beach near Starfall or Sunspear, turned hot by the midday sun. 

The illusion quickly vanished as soon as water started to cool down. Becca poured water on Elia’s hair, washing it thoroughly. Once the soap was washed out of Elia’s hair, she got out of the bathtub, immediately starting to shiver. Becca quickly rubbed her with the towel then helped her back into her wool robes.

Elia settled back by the fireplace, facing away from it to let her hair dry. Becca was brushing through Elia’s hair, untangling knots. Elia’s hair has grown quite long, now reaching her lower back. She would have cut it, but the superstition that pregnant women should not cut their hair while with child seemed to have been widespread here, in the north, as her maid turned positively pale upon Elia even suggesting it. Now the long hair was taking so much longer to brush. 

There was a knock on the door, and in came Ashara Dayne and Alyna Allyrion, Elia’soldest and closest companions. 

Elia could tell Ashara woke up not too long ago, as her hair was down – Ashara would always put her hair up with ribbons, unless she was in a hurry. She claimed to not like having her hair down. 

“It makes me look silly,” she claimed, and Elia just scoffed – she could hardly think of anything that would make Ashara look less than gorgeous. 

Alyna, meanwhile appeared to have gotten no sleep at all, as she was pale and had deep shadows under her eyes. _Must have spent another night in the library,_ Elia thought remembering how often Alyna used to get in trouble when she was younger for staying up through the night to read, _Or, mayhaps, she was working on my bidding._

“Your Grace,” her two companions greeted her as they entered the rooms. 

Elia waved Becca off to bring them in some tea – the drink so very popular in Dorne, that, like a lot of things, was not all that popular here, in the north. 

“How are you feeling, Your Grace?” there was concern in Alyna’s voice, “You look very pale.”

“The maester and his pregnancy advice will be the death of me,” Elia said, looking at her companions, “I can hardly sleep on that pillow. But other than that I am fine. The little one has been quite sleepy today, however,” she finished, putting her hand on her stomach. The baby was active a few days ago, but recently has not moved too much. 

“It is no wonder with the weather like this,” Ashara scoffed, “Anyone would want to sleep all day.”

Elia knew Ashara was not happy on Dragonstone – likely more unhappy that even she was. In part it was due to the fact that a lot of things Elia liked to do she was still able to do here. While the dreary weather did not help her mood, she still could spend time in the garden, or play music or cyvasse. However most things Ashara liked were not very well suited for Dragonstone. Ashara loved hawking and accompanying her brother on the hunt and swimming. Whenever Elia saw Ashara swim, she thought her friend must be half-mermaid – even as a young girl she was much better than even grown men. The waters surrounding Dragonstone were cold, however, and there were no forests to hawk or hunt. Besides, Ashara said it would not be all that fun without her brother. 

While Elia missed not living on an island, it was certainly preferable to the alternative – which was living in King’s Landing right next to her dearest goodfather. _Few things are too large a price to pay for being away from him,_ Elia thought to herself, when life on Dragonstone appeared especially unbearable. Sometimes she wondered how her mother ever managed to convince the man into agreeing to the match with the way he treated her and other Dornish people at court. His health did not seem all that strong these days, however, so mayhaps soon they would be relieved of him. _And, if not there is always the plan…_

“I too am not too happy about having to spend the day indoors,” Elia told Ashara then, “But given the cold, I must admit I much prefer being here rather than outside.”

Becca soon came in with tea – Elia knew the maester would not bee too thrilled to hear about it, but she was not going to give up all the things that made her life here bearable – especially not on a freezing cold day like this. They sat in silence for a little while drinking tea. The chill that seemed to have reached her very bones started subsiding. If Elia closed her eyes, she could almost imagine the three of them sitting on the balcony of her rooms in Sunspear drinking tea, watching as the sun sat over the city. After finishing the second cup, Elia touched her hair to find it to be completely dry. 

“Alyna, would you please help me with my hair,” Elia asked her cousin with a smile, and Alyna nodded, getting up. Ever since they were young Alyna liked doing Elia’s hair, and Elia enjoyed it too, as Alyna have become quite skilled. _And much better than Becca,_ Elia thought. While Becca worked for her for almost a year, she still had not completely mastered the art of doing Elia’s hair. 

Alyna’s fingers were light and quick, masterfully working lose strands of Elia’s hair. As she leaned back in her seat, enjoying the process, Ashara gestured towards Elia’s closet. 

“Would you like some help?” she asked, and Elia nodded. 

Ashara had impeccable taste and Elia often trusted her selections. Besides, she actually enjoyed helping Elia pick out her outfits, while Leia herself often found it quite overwhelming – she always had way too many dresses and the problem has only worsened now that she became the wife of the crown prince. 

Ashara quickly went through Elia’s dresses and emerged triumphantly with a deep orange high-waisted gown that Elia loved, but completely forgot that she owned. 

“You have not worn this in a while,” Ashara told her, “It looks good on you.”

As soon as Alyna finished with Elia’s hair, her and Ashara helped Elia into the dress. Elia then looked into the mirror and felt happy – the bright color of the dress distracted attention form her face making it less evident that she did not get too much sleep.  
The door opened, and Becca returned to the room. 

“Your Grace, ser Wode and his men have arrived to Dragonstone and are asking to see you,” she told Elia in a hushed tone. 

“Thank you, Becca,” Elia replied, “Please show them to their rooms and tell them that I shall see them in the evening. And, after you are done, please let lady Velaryon and lady Sunglass know that I am expecting them soon.”

“They are already here?” Alyna asked as soon as Becca left again, “Impressive, with the storm that was ranging the past few days.”

“The sooner we are done the better,” Elia replied, “Is what I asked for ready?”

“It is,” Alyna nodded, “I could bring it from my room right now if that would please Your Grace.”

“No need. I shall review it with you before the evening, but not just yet,” Elia replied, “We have other matters to attend to first and they are no less important.”

Elia began every morning with writing and responding to the letters with her ladies - her mother taught her the importance of building and maintaining diplomatic connections. So Elia and her ladies worked tirelessly on that. While she did not quite trust her ladies from the Crownslands quite as much as she trusted her Dornish ladies, she still relied on them greatly. However, to ensure that the information does not reach anyone it is not supposed to, Elia would review the letters before dividing them between her ladies. She would then instruct them upon how to reply, and would read all the replies before sending the letters out. 

She received a lot of letters – whatever people may have felt about having a Dornsish princess, having an ear of a future queen was something many desired. The nobles Elia corresponded with were not only from Westeros, but also from the Free Cities. Her mother always emphasized that more connections is better. 

Her husband seemed impressed with her ability to sway people – and with her way with words, so he ended up entrusting her with responding to the letters he would receive as well. That significantly increased the amount of reading and writing that Elia had to do, but she did not complain – after all, she wanted to be involved in ruling the country when her lord husband becomes king, and this seemed to be a way to demonstrate that he could rely on her. Besides, knowing her husband, he often forgot to answer the letters, swayed by more metaphysical matters, which, of course, could impact the way other nobles felt about him. By entrusting his correspondence to Elia, it was ensured that all the letters got answered. 

Elia’s relationship with her husband was a strange one – while he did not seem close to anyone - _save for Arth…save for ser Arthur Dayne_ \- he seemed to have confided in her surprisingly easily – both about the prophecy and about his eventual plan to call the council. The prophecy was of no interest to Elia – seemed more of an old wives tale than anything, but calling the great the council… That was something that Elia considered important – and urgent. So when he asked for help she was glad to offer any assistance she could. 

Her husband meanwhile seemed to have been more taken with the “prophecy” part of his plan. While that seemed somewhat foolish to Elia, he was pretty enough that she could forgive him a little folly. 

There were other things about their relationship that appeared somewhat strange to Elia. Initially, after they just got married, he attended their marriage bed daily with almost religious dedication – sometimes even twice a day, in the morn and at night. 

“He must be completely taken with you,” Ashara said, when Elia told her, “And it is no wonder. His Grace is so very lucky to have you as a wife.”

Elia’s had a far less charitable view of what was driving her husband’s ardor. She could tell he was completely inexperienced, which was strange given that he was two and twenty on their wedding day and the Crown Prince. But given some of his strange follies, perhaps it made sense. 

Now that she was with child he did not visit their marital bed at all – here in the north people still believed this foolish notion that sharing a bed when the woman is pregnant could harm the child. Elia could not say that she was too pleased about it, but, in the end, it was only temporary. 

“Lady Velaryon is awaiting you in your solar,” Becca said walking into the room and distracting Elia from her thoughts, “But I could not find Lady Sunglass.”

“She must be in the sept,” Ashara scoffed. 

“Becca, please go to the sept to see if lady Sunglass is there,” Elia said. 

Once Becca left again, Elia got up from her chair with Alyna and Ashara following the suit.

“Well, it’s time to attend to matters at hand,” Elia said, looking at them.


	2. Chapter 2

When Elia, Ashara and Alyna walked into the solar, Elaena Velaryon was already there, sitting by one of the tables next to the fireplace, holding a cup of one in one hand. As soon as she saw Elia and her companions walk in, Elaena immediately put down the cup and got up. 

“Your Grace,” she greeted Elia, curtseying. 

Elia nodded to Elaena, allowing her to sit. As soon as Elia, Ashara and Alyna settled by the table Elaena addressed Elia. 

“Your Grace, I have just received a shipment of the most delightful sweets from Tyrosh – you simply must try them,” she said. 

Elia smiled at Elaena – her new ladies in waiting have definitely figured at this point that she had quite the sweet tooth. In the several months that Elia knew Elaena, she’s learned that she could definitely trust her choice in sweets – the woman had an exquisite taste. 

“I would love to try them,” Elia said then. In the back of her mind she thought about the fact that the maester would not approve of her decision – after all, if it was up to him all she would have for the next few months would be that sad, plain porridge. _To Seven Hells with him._

Elaena called up the maid standing in the corner to the table and ordered her to bring the sweets from her room. As the maid was about to leave, Elaena also handed her the now empty cup of wine. 

“Did you see Lady Sunglass this morning?” Elia asked Elaena, “It is not like her to be late.”

“I have not seen her, Your Grace, but I am confident that she is fine. I would imagine she must be in the sept,” Elaena told her then. 

As soon as she said that the door opened, and in came Aelinor Sunglass. Her golden hair was wet and was dripping lightly onto the simple white dress she was wearing, despite her putting it up. 

“Please forgive me, Your Grace,” Aelinor curtsied to Elia, “I was praying in the sept and lost track of time. When your maid found me it was raining quite heavily – I ran through the courtyard as fast as I could, but my clothes were soaked. I would not dare appear in front of you looking like that, so I had to stop by my rooms to change.”

“It is fine, lady Aelinor, worry not,” Elia told her then, smiling lightly at her. Lady Aelinor was very young and not quite woman grown just yet, so Elia did not want to be harsh with her, “I would not want you to catch a cold. Please sit by the fire.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Aelinor bowed to her again, as she took a seat by the fireplace. 

The serving woman returned with the Tyroshi sweets that Elaena had promised. Elia had never tasted anything quite like that, but it seemed she had found her new favorite desert. 

“You were right, lady Elaena, they are exquisite,” Elia said, taking another piece. She was concerned that the sweets would cause her feel sick again, but to her surprise she was able to eat several pieces just fine. 

“I am glad to hear that you enjoy them, Your Grace,” Elaena told her then. 

“Are you feeling better today, Your Grace?” Aelinor asked, sounding concerned. 

“Yes, I am quite well today, and so is the child,” Elia smiled at her. 

Aelinor Sunglass looked at her with a mixture of relief and fear. _For being almost a woman grown, she is still so much like a child,_ Elia thought, looking at Aelinor. Pregnancy was a natural part of life of an adult woman, and yet the reactions Aelinor Sunglass had to Elia’s pregnancy was more fitting for a child. _It is no wonder though, the poor girl had no female companionship, no mother to guide her._

Aelinor was the youngest child of lord Sunglass and his only daughter – her mother, Melissa Sunglass, passed away form the winter’s chill when the girl was but a few months old. Lord Sunglass appointed a septa to educate Aelinor, of course, as was common here in the north. _But that, of course, is not the same._ Elia did not know where she would be without her mother’s steady, reliable guidance. 

Once they have had their fill of sweets, Elia summoned her maid to bring the letters that they needed to work through that day. The stack of letters appeared to be growing day by day and while in some ways that felt daunting, Elia was pleased nonetheless. _Connections are precious, do your best to build as many as you can,_ she remembered her mother’s words as she went through the stack of letters, separating them into five groups. 

Elia handed the letters out to her ladies, while instructing them on how to properly respond. 

“Lady Alyna, for the sake of Seven, please pay attention to your penmanship,” she told her cousin, upon handing her a few letters. 

Alyna had a remarkable way with words, but sometimes, when she got carried away her penmanship suffered significantly. So much so that oftentimes she herself was unable to read what she wrote just five minutes ago. 

“Lady Aelinor, do not forget to inquire about the health of lord Rowan’s mother,” Elia told Aelinor upon seeing her read the letter from Lord Rowan. 

Elia kept somewhat meticulous notes on the letters that she was receiving – after all, she needed to make sure that the lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms believed that the Princess – and the Crown Prince – cared about their well-being and their opinions. 

Meanwhile, Elia took up her own stack of letters. The one on top was a letter from Lord Mace Tyrell of Highgarden. From what she’s know about lord Tyrell, she could have easily guessed that he was not the one who actually wrote it. 

_I should speak to Rhaegar about lord Tyrell’s son…Willas, I belive. It will be good if my lord husband were to agree to foster him._ Fostering was an important part of building relationships between noble families. The house Targaryen has shrunk quite a bit in the recent generations. While the people of the Seven Kingdoms seemed to love her husband, the people’s love may be fleeting. _Marriage however, marriage is a solid foundation of connection between houses._

Unfortunately, the house Targaryen did not have too many unmarried individuals that could be used to solidify alliances. _All we have is Viserys…and my child._ As such before the time came and their numbers increased allowing them to solidify alliances though marriage other means had to be employed. Elia believed that fostering Willas Tyrell was a perfect opportunity – Tyrells were an extremely rich house and the Targaryens’ oldest and most devoted supporters. _Few things are a higher honor than having your son fostered in the Crown Prince’s household._

When Elia first approached Rhaegar with the idea, he did not seem all too interested, perhaps because he was about to depart for Summerhall. 

“We shall speak of this later, my lady,” he told her, holding her hands in his. 

Elia was not too pleased, but she conceded. _After all, we could talk about it when he returns,_ she mused, _The boy is still young, after all._

As Elia was working her way through her stack of letters, she thought the she should write to her lady mother, once she gets a moment. She missed Princess Loreza with all her heart, yet, somehow she always ended up writing to Doran and Oberyn more often. 

_Perhaps, once I give birth to this child, I could come to Dorne for some time to visit them all,_ Elia thought, _I am sure my lady mother would love to meet her grandchild._

Elia closed her eyes, imagining the scene for a moment of how she steps off the boat at Sunspear, carrying her infant in her hands. She was not sure if in this fantasy the child was a boy or a girl, but he or she had a distinctly Martell look – with tan skin, dark curls and deep brown eyes. Her lady mother was there in her imagination, smiling warmly at her as she greeted Elia – and her new grandchild to their homeland. Elia could also see Oberyn and Doran and Mellario with tiny Arianna, all smiling and happy to see her. 

Elia opened her eyes, and shook her head. _No time to dream._ She focused her attention on the task at hand. Soon enough Elia worked her way through her pack of letters, making sure that each response appeared attentive, yet powerful. 

Once she was done, she had to wait a little bit for her ladies to finish their responses. As soon as they were done, she collected the letters written by them for review. She was not going to read them just now, however – she could do that later – since all of a sudden Elia felt slightly dizzy. 

To make sure she did not worry her ladies, she acted like nothing was happening. Elia handed the letters off to her maid, asking her to put them into her study. Once the letters were taken away the other serving women cleared the table of papers, quills and inkpots. 

“Becca, please send for musicians,” Elia asked her maid. 

She brought two musicians with her from Dorne, and she was happy she did so – while her husband was quite expert at harp, it did get rather old surprisingly quickly listening to him play. Meanwhile her Dornish musicians were skilled in a wide rage of instruments form harp to lute to flute. 

Soon the solar was filled with pleasant sounds of music. 

“How about a game of cyvasse?” Elaena turned to Alyna. 

“I would be happy to oblige,” Alyna replied, looking at Elaena, “What are you betting?”

“A dragon.”

“I will match your bet then,” Alyna said. 

Elia was listening to the music while half-paying attention to the game – the dizziness seemed to increase momentarily, and suddenly she started feeling discomfort in her back. _Not again._ Any breath of cold wind recently could cause her back to feel highly uncomfortable. The pain would build between her shoulder blades, then spread lower, making it uncomfortable to do anything, but especially making it painful to lie on her back. Which was a problem, nowadays, of course – for since the beginning of her pregnancy she was not comfortable sleeping in any position but on her back. 

Elia was often frustrated with her body – she felt like it could have done better, could have failed her less. But, luckily for her, it seemed her body was quite good at doing the only things prized in a woman on this side of the sea of Dorne – after all, she was with child just a couple months after marrying her lord husband. 

Elia’s thoughts were interrupted by Elaena’s swearing. 

“I warned you that you would lose,” Ashara said, with a sly smile, “She’s good.”

“I knew that,” Elaena replied, “What is the point in playing someone who is not?”

While Elaena sounded annoyed, Elia could see the laughter in her eyes. While Elaena was an exceedingly beautiful woman with typical Valyrian looks, her most striking feature were her eyes – her right eye was bright blue and her left eye was almost golden. It was not the first time Elia found herself mesmerized by the contrast. 

There was something strange for Elia in having Elaena at court, since oftentimes looking at her she could not help but wonder how different her life would be, if the circumstances were just slightly different. 

Elaena’s father – lord Lucerys Velaryon was a brother of the late lord Velaryon and was exiled by him to Essos. The exiled branch of house Velaryon soon found themselves in Tyrosh, where Elaena became a lover of Archon of Tyrosh. The Archon was so smitten with her that he offered to marry her, going against all traditions. Elaena, however, refused the proposal. From that affair Elaena’s daughter Alysanne was born. 

Elia wondered sometimes how the Archon permitted Elaena to take Alysanne with her back to Westeros when her uncle died without heir and her father became the lord of Driftmark. But, upon getting to know Elaena better, Elia realized that she likely did not ask. 

Elia never inquired about Elaena’s time in Essos – she knew Elaena did not like to talk about it, and she respected that. Elia permitted Elaena to bring Alysanne to court. Unlike these northerners, she saw no reason for the girl to be mistreated simply because her parents chose not to marry. 

_If they were not exiled, if she did not become the Archon’s lover – perhaps she’d be the Crown Princess now,_ Elia often thought. Some days she was unsure if she would have preferred that. _Then I could have…_ No. She could not allow herself to think about it, to regret things that did not happen. 

Elia looked over her ladies. _I cannot wait till lady Nymella Toland and lady Casella Vaith arrive,_ she thought. While her current ladies were doing just fine with the tasks at hand, she knew that more people would be required to deal with situations in the future. _I should look into getting more ladies in waiting that are not from Dorne or Crownslands,_ Elia remarked to herself. After all, being a lady in waiting for the Crown Princess was quite an honor. _An honor we could use in order to build important connections._

After lunch Elia asked Alyna to join her in the study. 

“Do not forget to bring what I asked you for,” Elia told Alyna. 

Alyna soon walked into Elia’s study, carrying a lot of sheets of paper with her. 

“So, what did you find?” Elia asked once Alyna sat down at the table. 

“I went through the budget that lord Whent was requesting for planning the tourney and I must tell you, there is quite a bit of double-counting involved,” Alyna started, “Unless, of course, the person who created the budget for him was completely incompetent, which I highly doubt.”

“How much are we talking?” Elia wondered, thinking about how to move forward with the situation. 

“Slightly over fifty thousand golden dragons,” Alyna said, handing papers to Elia, “Here, I marked everything that was double-counted.”

Elia meticulously went through the pages, taking careful note of Alyna’s remarks on pages. 

It was no wonder her mother joked that she did not want to let Alyna go to Dragonsotne with Elia. 

“I could use you as lord treasurer of Sunspear,” she remembered her mother tell Alyna, “That way I could be sure that every coin is accounted for.”

Of course there was no way Elia would allow Alyna to remain in Dorne without her – not that her cousin would want to separate from her anyways.  
What Alyna told her appeared to be correct – there was, indeed, quite a bit of double-counting going on. Elia paused for a moment, trying to decide how to resolve the situation. 

“What will you do?” Alyna asked, looking attentively at Elia. 

“I am not quite sure yet,” Elia shuffled through the papers that Alyna brought. Suddenly a small sheet of paper slipped from the stack and fell to the floor. Elia leaned over to pick it up. 

“My dear lady Allyrion…” the letter started. Elia already knew what name was signed at the bottom of the letter, but she looked at the signature anyways, and it read “Alrick Dayne.” _But of course._

“I see lord Dayne is writing to you again,” Elia said with a sly smile, looking at Alyna. 

“I…yes, he writes to me at times,” Alyna said, trying to sound calm, but Elia could see light blush spread across her pale cheeks. 

Elia sighed – these two were hopeless. _One would think they both were four and ten and not four and twenty._ Perhaps Ashara and her would get involved in this situation – then these two would be married in about a moon’s turn. Elia knew, however, that Alyna would not want her to get involved, and she respected her cousin’s desires. 

“Very well,” Elia said then, changing topic, “I think I have an idea of what to tell ser Wode.”

The meeting with ser Wode occurred in Elia’s solar after dinner. 

“We are glad that you made it to the island safely, ser,” Elia told ser Wode as he sat at the table. 

“Thank you, Your Grace,” ser Wode said. 

“We have reviewed the information regarding the budget for the Tourney that lord Whent provided,” Elia said, watching ser Wode’s face closely, “And there appear to be some unfortunate arithmetic errors. I am certain it is an accident, however – but even accidental mistakes add up. My treasurer found that there was double counting by almost fifty thousand dragons.”

Ser Wode’s face remained neutral, but it did not escape Elia that he gulped quietly. _He knows, of course._

“Your Grace, I assure you, it was just a simple mistake,” ser Wode started, “Lord Whent would never…”

“Save your explanations, ser – I have no doubt that there was no ill intent on lord When’s part and that this is an unfortunate mistake. However, I would like to let you know – and would like you to pass on to lord Whent that, while the requested amount is fifty thousands over the necessary amount based on the budged, His Grace and I have decided to grant the full requested amount – as a gesture of friendship and goodwill, and with an understanding that a great tourney requires great expenses.”

“I…thank you, Your Grace,” ser Wode managed to say. 

“Our lord treasurer shall provide you with the funds on the morrow – please take them to lord Whent and let him know that we are expecting to see a remarkable tourney,” Elia said with a light smile. 

“I will, Your Grace,” ser Wode told her then. 

After he left the solar, Alyna turned to Elia. 

“Do you think it is wise to give them more when they tried to fool you?” she asked 

“Now they know that we found out,” Elia told her then, “And we appear gracious and generous. It is good to appear such to your allies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N.B:   
> On character’s ages:  
> Alyna is 24,  
> Ashara is 21,  
> Aelinor is 15,  
> Elaena is 23 (and her daughter, Alysanne, is 4)


	3. Chapter 3

Elia put aside the stack of letters she was reading and rubbed her eyes – somehow this morning she was feeling even more exhausted than she was last night before going to sleep. 

“Whenever I was pregnant, I always felt quite well until the last month,” she recalled her mother tell her, “And during the last month I would be absolutely exhausted, even when not doing anything. If you are anything like me, you will need plenty of rest during those days.”

Elia sincerely wished she could rest, but the troubling thoughts were keeping her agitated. Her lord husband left for Summerhall over a moon’s turn ago, and hasn’t returned since. That was unusual of him, for previously he was never gone for more than four weeks at the time. 

“His Highness has been gone for quite some time now,” she shared her concern with her ladies one morning, “I hope he could return before the storms set in.”

“I will pray for His Highness’s speedy return, Your Grace,” lady Aelinor assured her then, “I am sure the gods would not allow him to miss the birth of his firstborn, as that would be most unfortunate.”

Elia smiled gratefully at Aelinor, but in her heart she thought that the Seven hardly had time to monitor her husband’s travels. _Besides, don’t the gods only help those who believe in them?_ Elia wondered, _Then surely my lord husband cannot expect any help from them._ Prince Rhaegar seemed to believe in the old prophecies rather than in gods. 

As the year was moving to the close, the dreary weather was only getting worse. Soon enough Elia found it almost impossible to sleep as the rough winds were incessantly knocking against the windows of her rooms. 

On the few warm days Elia always tried to make her ways to the garden. However, recently she found it hard walking up and down the stairs, so often she simply had to settle for opening all the windows in her room to let the warm, fresh air inside. 

“You could get someone to carry you,” Ashara told her once after Elia complained. 

Elia used to do that back in Dorne when they were younger – sometimes on the days when she was feeling really unwell she would get one of the servants – or Oberyn when he was not traveling – to carry her up and down the stairs to the gardens of Sunspear. But Oberyn was many leagues away, and so were the servants she trusted. And she was not a little girl anymore. 

Elia picked up a letter from the top of the pack and looked it over. Satisfied, she put it into an envelope then sealed it. 

“Go to the rookery and sent this to my lady mother, Pricess Loreza,” Elia instructed Becca, her serving woman, as she handed her the envelope. 

In the letter, Elia asked her lady mother to send her the two midwives from the Sunspear castle, Marissa and Wylla. While maester Hareth assured her lord husband that he had extensive knowledge of how to deliver children, the past few months rendered Elia unable to trust him. 

Marissa and Wylla helped deliver all of her lady mother’s children, so Elia knew she could rely on them. _Besides, it would be nice to have help from someone who actually understands the process,_ Elia thought, and not from someone who read something in the book a few times and now deems himself an expert.

Resting her hand on her belly, Elia sighed heavily. They she was feeling in the past few days made her concerned that the child would come early. That scared her. Elia was a premature baby herself, and, according to the maester in Sunspear, that was the cause of most of her health troubles. _I do not want that for my children._

Elia wanted her child to be born strong and healthy. She felt that her tender health rendered her vulnerable – and she did not want her children to be vulnerable. This never bothered her back in Dorne, for she had always felt safe there, but King’s Landing and Dragonstone felt like a lair of the most dangerous of beasts, and that beast was always waiting for an opportunity to exploit the most momentary of weaknesses or vulnerabilities. 

_My daughter needs to be strong, so that she can be safe, when I am not there to protect her,_ Elia thought, suddenly realizing that she unconsciously assumed that she would have a daughter. Elia felt torn – in her heart of hearts she did want a little girl, but as a wife of the Crown Prince, she knew it was her duty to birth him a son. _I should not worry – if my lord husband will continue visiting my bedchambers with the same ardor he did before we found out that I was with child, we shall have many, many more children, boys and girls._

Elia sighed and got up from the chair – it was midday, which meant it was time to proceed to the great hall of the castle. Her lord husband left her in charge of dealing with the disputes and other matters that were brought before the throne of Dragonstone. 

It was easy to tell that quite a few at court were displeased with his decision, so Elia took it upon herself to prove then wrong. 

““What would the woman know of governing?” that’s what they are saying,” Ashara confided in her about a conversation she’s overheard at court. 

_The Pricess of Dorne would know everything one would need to know,_ Elia thought, feeling mild annoyance. She’s learned about governing from her mother, Princess Loreza, who was a just and competent ruler. Princess Loreza often had Elia observe her sitting in judgment or deciding on laws.

“While you will not rule in your own right, you will be the king’s wife – and a king’s mother,” Princess Loreza told her, “Who knows, mayhaps you will find yourself a regent for your son one day. It is imperative that you know how to govern.”

Most matters brought to Elia’s attention that day were not remarkable – a few land disputes, several taxation questions and a case involving a theft of a goat. The only incident that stood out to Elia was the situation involving one of the town’s bakers who was adding sawdust to the bread to use less flour. Such blatant abuse of people’s trust was completely unacceptable, and Elia felt completely justified in making him pay a hefty fine and having him spend a month in Dragonstone jail. 

Once all the matters for the day were resolved, Elia retired to her solar with Alyna and Ashara. 

“You should not overwork yourself like that, Your Highness,” Ashara told Elia as they were walking to her chambers, “You look so very pale.”

In truth, Elia’s paleness was not caused by the fact that she was tired, but rather by the unbearable pain that was spreading across the upper part of her back. Her back was always very sensitive to cold – and the throne in the Dragonstone castle was made out of cold black stones. For some reason her lord husband and the previous lords of the castle seemed to believe that comfort should be secondary to the looks. So now, after leaning her back against the cold surface of the stone for a couple hours, the dreadful pain that began between Elia’s shoulder blades spread across her upper back. 

“I am fine,” Elia told Ashara, as she did not want to let her know about the pain, “Once I rest a little I should be even better.”

When they walked into the solar and settled at the table, Elia turned to her maid. 

“Please bring my painting supplies…And tea as well.”

Elia always enjoyed painting as it allowed her to get lost in her imagination and distracted her from her worries and from the pain that her body was feeling. Surprisingly, needlework which was much more popular among the ladies never appealed to her. 

Elia settled into a chair in front of white canvass and got out her brushes. Ashara sat near Elia with Dornish lute in her hands – she was good at playing the instrument and even better at singing. _Better than my lord husband even._ Alyna was sitting farther away, by the fireplace, holding her needlework.

This evening it was just the three of them in Elia’s solar. Aelinor Sunglass was feeling quite unwell, and so was Elaena’s little daughter, Alysanne. Elia wanted to check on Aelinor and Alysanne, but, of course, the maester would not let her risk getting sick. Upon Elia’s request, Alyna visited both earlier in the day. 

“Lady Aelinor seems to be getting better,” Alyna told Elia, “And so is the little Alysanne. Lady Elaena, however, is still quite concerned about her.”

 _Of course she is,_ Elia thought, _it is her daughter, after all._

Elia liked spending time with all her ladies, but part of her was grateful that it was just the three of them today, as that reminded her of all the good times they had together back in Sunspear and in the Water Gardens. 

“I hope there will be a ball once your child is safely born,” Ashara said dreamily, picking at the strings of the lute. 

Elia nodded – despite all the problems with her health, she did love to dance, even though it was quite physically exerting. She remembered the balls that they attended in Sunspear and in Starfall, where they would dance the night away. _Those were the best times,_ Elia thought, smiling softly, _I wish I appreciated them more._

She could not imagine a ball here, on Dragonstone, or in King’s Landing being nearly as fun. If the one that happened on the evening of her marriage to prince Rhaegar was anything to go by, very few people at court could relax enough to enjoy them. _And it is no wonder – hardly anyone could feel at ease around my dearest good father._

“So long as it is not in King’s Landing,” Elia said then, and Ashara nodded in agreement. 

“I would be grateful to not set foot there again,” Ashara said in a hushed tone, “The king scares me. And there is also that knight of the Kingsguard, ser Barristan Selmy – I swear he’s always staring at me. It makes me feel uneasy.”

“All men stare at you, Ashara,” Alyna pointed out and Elia nodded, “But I agree, he did appear to stare quite a bit more than others,” continued Alyna. 

“He must be completely smitten with you,” Elia told Ashara then. _Who wouldn’t be._

“He is so _old_ ,” Ashara exclaimed then, wrinkling her nose, “I am glad that His Majesty almost never sends him here to Dragonstone.”

That was true, in almost a year of Elia’s life on Dragonstone ser Barristan Selmy was sent to guard her and the Crown Prince only for a month. More often they were guarded by Elia’s uncle, Prince Lewyn, ser Jonthor Darry or ser Oswell Whent. 

Suddenly Elia felt a painful pang in her stomach. She tried to ignore it, and took a deep breath, but a moment later there was another pang. Elia dropped her paintbrush and pressed her hand against her stomach. 

“Your Grace,” she heard Ashara exclaim. 

Elia felt a series of short painful pangs, that made it hard for her to catch her breath. 

“Go fetch the maester,” Elia heard Alyna tell the maid. 

Elia felt another painful pang. Suddenly, a moment later the feeling was gone. Confused, Elia sat on the chair, clutching her stomach and breathing hastily. Ashara was kneeling near here. 

“What is wrong, Your Grace?” Ashara asked. 

“I…I felt pain in my stomach, but now it is gone,” Elia told her, feeling confused. 

As much as she did not want the maester to check her, she knew that it was necessary. After all, the pain this late in the pregnancy could not be a good sign. 

The maester arrived rather quickly, obviously alarmed by the information that the maid told him. 

“Everything seems to be fine, Your Grace,” he told her once he finished examining her, “Perhaps you overexerted yourself, I cannot say for certain. This means there is a risk that the child will arrive too soon. To make sure that this does not happen, I would advise that you remained in bed for the remainder of your pregnancy. After all, having a premature child can cause a multitude of problems, and I promised His Grace that I would keep you and the child safe.”

Elia felt frustration rise in her chest – she did not want to lay in bed for the next month, but, it appeared she had little choice, as she did not want to endanger her daughter. 

Alyna and Ashara settled on the small chairs on the right side of Elia’s bed. 

“Would you like Alyna or me to stay with you?” Ashara asked. 

When they were younger they would often sleep in the same bed. Elia loved those times, as they would often stay up till the early hours of the morning talking about everything in the world. _I miss those days._

“I am sure I will be fine, so there is no need,” Elia declined Ashara’s offer, “But I promise if anything were to happen, I will have my maid fetch you first.”

Satisfied by the answer, Ashara reached over at took Elia’s hand in hers. Her fingers were quite cold, as they usually were whenever Ashara was worried. Elia smiled gently at Ashara. 

“It appears His Grace will not make it here on time,” Alyna said, quietly, then looked to Elia, “Would you like a raven sent to His Grace with the news?”

“No,” Elia said after a momentary pause, “His Grace knows that the child is due soon – he will return when he returns.”

The thought that prince Rhaegar could miss the birth of their child made Elia feel strange satisfaction. She could not deny that she was beginning to feel slight resentment towards the fact that he departed and left everything in her care. As much as she wanted to have political influence, the fact that he thought it proper to simply abandon _his_ duties was…at leas mildly irritating. 

_I shall speak with him when he returns,_ Elia resolved. When her lord husband becomes king it would be unacceptable for him to treat his duties this way. _I need to make sure the right person will be appointed as the Hand._

“Her Grace is right,” Ashara added, “She does not need to worry about His Grace, but simply focus on resting and on getting better.”

Elia smiled gratefully and gently squeezed Ashara’s fingers. 

“My ladies, it has been quite a long day” she said then, “I need some rest.”

Once Alyna and Ashara left after bidding her good night, Elia tried to fall asleep. However, as hard as she tried, she was unable to. Perhaps it was the thrice-damned pillow that did not let her or the comforter that was suddenly feeling all too heavy. After tossing and turning in bed for the better part of two hours, Elia sat up. _It does not seem like I will get any sleep tonight._

Resigned, she got out of bed. Elia had half a mind to wake up her maid, but then decided against it, as she would surely insist that Elia returned to bed. Elia put on her wool robes, then walked around the room for a bit, trying to think of how she could make herself fall asleep. Somehow, no ideas came to her mind.

Elia herself did not notice how she left her bedroom and walked across her solar to her study. The room was dimly lit by a handful of candles. Elia walked across her study and sat at her desk. Looking around, she picked up her journal – the one where she kept the notes about her correspondence with other nobles. 

_It would be nice if my lord husband put in any effort into maintaining connections with people. He is well-loved, he could definitely use it._

Elia had concerns about his future as a king, however – a chivalrous, handsome prince who plays the harp is an appealing image, but a king who is too distracted by the songs and prophecies to rule could not stay loved for long. _It would be all too evident that he is not performing his duties._

Her other concerns stemmed from the fact that she was not sure whether her husband would attempt to uphold the old Targaryen tradition and have his children marry one another. The very thought made Elia sick. _Besides, it is such a political waste,_ she thought, _When the Targaryens had the dragons, they did not really need alliances through marriage, of course. But it is dangerous to act like the dragons are still around._

Elia could think of a number of matches that would be more beneficial for her future children – and for the House Targaryen - than marrying each other. _And they would be happier, of course, if they were not forced into entering such a marital union._

With that thought Elia pulled up a paper and a quill. _If neither my husband, nor my dearest good father are willing to do anything to strengthen the alliances of house Targaryen, I suppose it falls to me then._


End file.
